Kieran Tooley
Kieran Tooley is a rookie tight end for the North Florida Renegades. Biography Hailing from the Roanoke Valley area of Virginia, Kieran Tooley has always had an appreciation for the quiet life. Growing up an only child, he didn’t have to compete with other siblings for the attention of his parents, but they stressed order in their lives and expected nothing less from their son. But in 2003, Kieran’s father, US Army SSgt. Michael Tooley, was killed in combat in Iraq when his unit was ambushed by insurgents. His mother, Natalie, never remarried and while she was an administrator at the local hospital, there would forever be that void left behind when Michael died. From that moment on, Kieran vowed that he would become a soldier and fight in a war just like his daddy did. He had an uncle, who was a Marine veteran, that lived nearby who took him under his wing and became the father figure that was taken from him way too soon. It was that uncle, Stephen, who introduced his nephew to football as he was a coach for the Salem High School team; first as a spectator, and then encouraged him to join the 8th grade team. He quickly picked up the game and was a really good fullback through his freshman year, which is why he was surprised to learn that he would be moved up to varsity as a tight end. It was a struggle to learn a new position at first, but Kieran would get a grasp of it, and by his junior year, the now 6-foot-5 badger would become not only the best tight end in his county, but arguably in the entire state of Virginia. Recruiters were coming from all over the country to watch Kieran play his senior year, and the powerhouse programs were all wooing him to come and play for them. In the end, Kieran surprised everyone and chose Badger University, a mustelid-centric school in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to play his college football. It didn’t take him long to fit in. “I loved the campus,” Kieran told the university magazine in a welcome interview, “but being at a school that’s mostly fellow mustelids was the biggest draw.” It also helped that the Badgers were one of the Midwest’s best teams, coming off an undefeated 12-0 season and narrowly missing out on the FCAA playoffs the year prior. Kieran would be on the opening week roster as a true freshman, but as a reserve while he learned the offense. He proved to be a quick study, and by the end of the season, he looked to be the heir apparent to the starter, who was graduating after that season. The following year saw Kieran come out as a revelation, setting the school record for catches (86), yards (1,053), and touchdowns (10) for a tight end and earning his first selection to the Furry All-American team. He would record 83 and 91 catches his next two seasons and rack up over 1,000 yards and score 11 and 8 touchdowns respectively, and be named a 1st-team Furry All-American both years. But he still feels a void in his life without his father there to watch him. “It’s just not the same,” Kieran would say when asked about it to a school magazine reporter in 2016, “I know he’s looking down at me from heaven, but I would’ve loved for him to just see me play just one time. Of course we can’t bring him back, but it’s kinda rough doing what I’ve been doing and with all the accomplishments and everything. I know he’d be proud of me and I’m sure he is. It’d be a lot better if he could be here to watch this all unfold.” And now in 2018, Kieran is looking to be a prime candidate for the UFFL Draft as he prepares to take on a different kind of battlefield at the next level. Evaluation 4 stars. Athletic freak, could definitely be used more as a WR than as a blocker. Would immediately boost any team’s passing game.Great pass-catching TE as his numbers attest to, but I would like to see Kieran keep it up at the next level. Very humble and doesn’t bring drama, but has the warrior’s mentality on the field and shows it. Could be a better blocker in the running game, but his strength is definitely as a receiving TE. Contract Info Statistics Individual Win-Loss Record Total Record: - Playoffs: - Regular Season: - Category:2018 rookies Category:Tight Ends Category:Badger Category:Mustelids Category:North Florida